Conveyer



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. G'r. W. MGCASLIN. GONVEYYER. No. 409,830. Patented Aug. 20, 1889l INVENTOR;

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"No Model.) 3 VSheets-Sheet; 3. G. W. MGGASLIN. GONVEYER.

Patented Aug. 20, 1889.

INVENTOR:

ITNESSESI 'rares artnr trice.

iEORGE IV. MGOASLIN, OF NEV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE MCOASLIN MACHINE COMPANY, OF TEST NEIV BRIGHTON, N. Y.

CONVEYER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,330, dated August 20, 1889.

i Application filed September ll, 1888. Serial No. 285,112. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE IV. MCOASLIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Conveyers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that `class of endless coi'ivcyers adapted for receiving, convey ing, and delivering coal, grain, and the like. A conveyor of this type is illustrated in my Letters Patent No. 387,2ll, dated August 7, ISSS, and in my pending application, Serial No. 281,220.

The object of my present invention is to provide the convcyer elements with an improved coupling, whichwill enable the endless con* veyer to move on a curved track without longitudinal extension or contraction. It will be understood by those familiar with this class of endless conveyers that there should be no looseness or lost motion at the couplings, suoli as exists necessarily in the couplings of railway-cars. This necessity for nonyielding couplings arises from the fact that the conveyor is endless and completely fills the track on which it runs. Nevertheless, while the conveyor-coupling must be nonyielding so far as extensibility is concerned and the cars should be rigidly distano-ed by the coupling-links, it is very desirable that the conveyer shall be adapted to move on curved as well as straight tracks, and that the coupling-joint should be of such a nature as to permit this. To provide such a coupling as that above described is the purpose of my present invention, which will be fully described hereinafter, and its novel features carefully defined in the claims.

In the drawings, which serve to illustrate my invention, Figure l is a plan of a part ot' an endless conveyer provided with my improved couplings, the view showing the conveyer on a laterally or horizontally curved track. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same conveyer represented as on a vertically-curved track. These views show the adjacent conveyer lelements connected by a couplingjoint that will permit the endless conveyer to travel over tracks curved either horizont-ally or vertically. Fig. Qlisaperspectiveview,on

a larger scale, of one of the jointelinks. Fig. 3 is a plan view illustrating a conveyer-coupling having the saine characteristics as that illustrated in Figs. l and 2, but differently constructed; and Fig. 3 is a side view of the same. Fig. 4. is a plan view illustrating a comieyer-couplin g similar to that represented in Fig. S, except that it is adapted forlateral curves only. Fig. 5 illustrates a conveyor coupling adapted only for vertical curves. In this construction the bucket is not supported directly on the wheels or wheel-axles. Fig. G illustrates a construction. of the coupling similar to that in Fig. 5, except that thebuck ets are mounted or hung on the wheel-axles.

I will first describe the construction illus trated in Figs. l and 2, promising that it is here applied to an endless conveyer composed of coupled eonveyer elements, each of which comprises a dumping gravitybucket, two track-wheels adapted to form a rolling support for the bucket, and coupling-links for connecting the elements. A conveyor having these features is illustrated in my before#m mentioned patent. a represents the gravity bucket, which will, by preference, be made from metal and have a semtcylindrical form. l) is the wheel-axle, and c c the wheels thereon. These run on track-rails d d of any kind. In these views the axle l) is represented as passing through the bucket a and at the pivotal axis of the same. The bucket is snrrounded by a coupling-link e c, which is in the form of a frame. The pivots on which the bucket is hung (which in. this construction are formed by the axle b) pass loosely through the side bars of the couplinglink and form bearings therefor. The end bar of the link of one conveyer element is coupled to the end bar of the link next adjacent at their middle points (that is, at a point in the longitudinal axis of the conveyer) by a universal joint, designated as a whole by the reference letter g. Any form of universal joint that will permit of lateral and vertical tlexure, but will not permit of longitudinal extension, may be employed. The joint I have shown and which I prefer for its simplicity and strength comprises a joint-link g', (seen detached in Fig. 2%) which has two eyes to receive the two coupling-pins, the said eyes IYOO being so arranged, respectively, that the axes of the coupling-pins stand at right angles, the one vertical and the other horizontal. The eyes in the joint-link are embraced between suitable projecting lugs 0n the end bars of the adjacent coupling-links e e. This coupling allows the conveyer to move about a horizontal curve, as represented in Fig. l, or about a vertical curve, as represented in Fig. 2. In the former case the ilexure will be about the vertical coupling-pin, and in the latter case about the horizontal coupling-pin. But there can be no extension of the conveyer, and the buckets will always be rigidly distanced.

In Figs. 3 and 3 I have shown a construction having the same characteristics as that just described, in that the conveyer is capable of being moved about both horizontal and vertical curves, but the ilexure when on a horizontal curve will be about the vertical coupling-pin g2, between the elements, while the lexu re when on a vertical curve,:as in Fig. 2, will be about the wheel-axles, as the link e e in this construction is in two parts, and each is hinged separately and independently on the axle. So far as vertical flexure is concerned the link e e in this construction is rigid between the adjacent axles. This is illustrated in Fig. 3a.

In some cases it will only be .necessary to provide tor lateral iiexure, so that the conveyer may move about a horizontal curve. In such a case the link in the construction illustrated in Figs. 3 and 3 may be made in one piece, as in Fig. l. This construction isillust-rated in Fig. 4, where the side bars ot' the link e2 e2 are represented as mounted on the axle precisely as seen in Fig. l, and the adjacent links coupled by a vertical pin g2 between the elements. In some cases, also, it will only be necessary to provide for vertical tlexure, so that the conveyer may move about a vertical curve, as represented in Figs. 2 and 3f. In that case the link may be of two straight bars, as represented by e3 e3 in Fig. 5, with the axes of the coupling-joints horizontal. This View shows the axles l) as forming the coupling-pins and the buckets a as suspended from the middles of the side bars of the coupling-link and arranged between the adjacent axles.

Fig. 6 illustrates another arrangement well adapted for constructions where it is desirable that the buckets a shall be brought close together and where the curves in the track are vertical only. In this construction the link e4 eL1 is constructed of two straight bars, and

the coupling-points are midway between the axles b, on which the buckets a are hung, the bucket in this case, as in the others, being hung between the side bars of the link and at a point midway between its ends.

The word non-yielding, as herein applied to the connecting coupling between the elements, means that these couplings will permit no extension of the conveyer longitudinally.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. An endless non-extensible conveyer composed ot elements consisting each of a gravitybucket hung between the rigid side bars of a distancing and coupling link, the said link, and substantially at the middle of the same, and a suitable axle and sup porting-wheels, the coupling-links of the several elements ot' the conveyer being connected together by nonyielding couplin 2. An endless conveyer composed of elements consisting each of a gravity-bucket, a coupling-link surrounding said bucket and between the side bars of which the bucket is hung, and a suitable axle and wheels, the coupling-links ot the adjacent elements being connected together in the longitudinal axis of the conveyer by a non-yielding coupling.

3. An endless conveyer composed of elements consisting each of a gravity-bucket, a distancing and coupling link surrounding said bucket, and between the side bars of which said bucket is hung, and a suitable axle and wheels for supporting the bucket, and a universal coupling connecting the coupling-links of adjacent elements.

4. An endless conveyer composed of a series of frame-like rigid links united by nonyielding couplings, supporting-wheels, one pair to each link, and a gravity-bucket pivotally hung in each of said links.

5. An endless conveyer composed of elements consisting each of a gravity-bucket, a rigid coupling-link, an axle, and supporting'- wheels, said bucket being pivotally hung between the side bars of the link and between the points where the conveyer elements are coupled together.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

IOO

IIO

GEORGE w. MccAsLIN.

lVitnesses:

HENRY CoNNE'rr, J. D. CAPLINGER. 

